Vikings bring back an old friend to help their defensive line

After a two-year departure, defensive end Tashawn Bower is back with the Minnesota Vikings after he was signed by the team on Wednesday.

Heading into their Week 12 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings is beyond depleted.

For Sunday’s game, the Vikings will be without Danielle Hunter, Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, and likely Everson Griffen as well.

Tomlinson has been ruled out after he was placed on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list and Griffen’s expected absence this weekend has caused Minnesota to go looking for reinforcements.

Minnesota Vikings sign Tashawn Bower off of New England Patriots practice squad

To help with their dwindling defensive line, the Vikings decided to sign defensive end Tashawn Bower off of the New England Patriots practice squad according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Wednesday.

Minnesota is the first team Bower suited up for when he began his NFL career in 2017 after going undrafted out of LSU. He remained with the Vikings until 2019 when he was released and signed to the Patriots practice squad.

During his first tenure with Minnesota, Bower appeared in seven games and accumulated a total of seven tackles (two for a loss), one sack, and one quarterback hit.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound pass rusher will join a Vikings defensive line that will likely feature a starting group on Sunday that consists of Armon Watts, Sheldon Richardson, D.J. Wonnum, and either Patrick Jones or Eddie Yarbrough.

In two appearances with New England this season, Bower racked up three tackles (one for a loss), one sack, and one quarterback hit.